Punjab CM removes DIG for misconduct in missing girl case

E-Paper | August 07, 2026

Punjab CM removes DIG for misconduct in missing girl case

Asif Chaudhry Published April 14, 2019

Chief Minister Usman Buzdar. — Photo courtesy of Usman Buzdar's Twitter

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LAHORE: Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has removed Lahore DIG Investigation Dr Inaam Waheed from his post after he tried to ‘deceive’ Prime Minister Imran Khan in the case of a missing student of a private university.

The chief minister also ordered Anti-Corruption Establishment Director General Ijaz Shah to complete inquiry into the matter and submit a report within one week.

The action was taken when the prime minister expressed his utter displeasure over the pathetic response of the DIG towards kidnap of a girl (R), a student of a private university on Raiwind Road. The prime minister was shocked when the mother of the girl filed a complaint on the PM Portal saying her 19-year-old daughter had gone missing some five months ago and instead of recovering her, the DIG misbehaved with the complainant.

An official said the girl had gone missing on Nov 4 when she left home for the university. Her mother paid several visits to the local police station as well offices of the senior police officers but to no avail. She also met the then chief justice of Pakistan, Justice Saqib Nisar, who had ordered registration of a case and recovery of the girl.

However, after lodging the case, the DIG misbehaved with the complainant and misled the then CJ by giving a false report, the official said, adding that the woman filed a complaint to the PM on Feb 19. The PM issued strict order to the IGP to recover the girl, he said, adding that the DIG again misled the higher-ups by filing a false report that the girl had left home on her on wish.

The woman told the PM’s staff officer that police took her son and close relatives to the police station and subjected them to torture. This act further irked the premier who expressed his utter displeasure and directed IGP Amjad Javed Saleemi to recover the girl by March 29.

Police finally recovered the girl on March 26 and the DIG reported to the higher-ups that she was recovered from a private hostel of Islamabad. And he directed the officials to take her to Darul Aman.

When the woman again complained to the PM that the DIG was not handing over her daughter to the family, Imran Khan issued order for action against the senior officer.

Published in Dawn, April 14th, 2019

Pakistan

Asif Chaudhry is a crime and health reporter for Dawn with over two decades of experience. His reporting focuses on uncovering corruption and highlighting systemic failures within the public sector. He can be found on X at @asif_28.

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Reality Bites

Apr 14, 2019 11:45am

DIG's dismissal is not enough. He should be handed years of jail time and heavy penalties. What was Mr. Buzdar doing all this time? Why did the PM have to stir things around for this case? This should have been done at the police level, none of the politicians should have to be involved. Police in the country has to be completely rehired, restructured and retrained. And the ones who have built estates have to be thrown in the jails and recover all the money they looted from the public.

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Paramesh

Apr 14, 2019 11:59am

Now thats law and order for you where the countrys premiers order too is not respected.

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Apr 14, 2019 12:05pm

police itself is half the corruption

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NewBorn

Apr 14, 2019 12:58pm

This is very good if true, but with so much corruption within the PTI staff; this could be a way to get their own man appointed. We'll never know.

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Iqbal Hadi Zaidi

Apr 14, 2019 01:21pm

Removal of DID from post or even employment is too little to be honest and hardly it satisfies the mother. What deters CM or PM for that matter to arrest DIG, put him behind the bars and let him prove his innocence? People repose blind confidence in police and seek its help in distress but in this case very much regretfully DIG behaved other way round and that too not once but repeatedly. Wait for next action,if any. Iqbal Hadi Zaidi

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Mukesh

Apr 14, 2019 01:23pm

Why does the Chief Minister has to wait for IK's advise (order) on every issue? Can't he make his own decisions?

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Irfr

Apr 14, 2019 01:35pm

May ALLAH bless you Imran Khan.

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Ali

Apr 14, 2019 01:36pm

Excellent

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Apr 14, 2019 01:51pm

Unless structural and long-due changes are made in police, such incidents will unfortunately keep on happening.

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Omer

Apr 14, 2019 02:07pm

Shows incompetence of the Punjab govt. CM can not do anything without asking for PM's suggestions, probably that's why he got this seat!!

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Talha Ejaz

Apr 14, 2019 02:08pm

Complete facts should be disclosed as to why incorrect facts we're reported by DIG. Missing girl recovered from hostel tells otherwise

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Haseeb

Apr 14, 2019 02:11pm

What if she went out willingly??

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Mian Shah hussain adv

Apr 14, 2019 02:26pm

The whole of panjab police is unprofessional.

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Parvez

Apr 14, 2019 02:28pm

After over six months in office one wonders what prompted Imran Khan to pick this man to lead a province as vital as Punjab .......

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Imtiaz kh

Apr 14, 2019 02:45pm

@Mian Shah hussain adv, .. Nobody can improve particularly Punjab police unless entire field n those In police stations r replaced with newly force recruited on motor way patern.

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hussain

Apr 14, 2019 03:17pm

all high up officials should be investigated into how much they own in term of property and bank accounts. law should be implemented to make banks and their employees accountable when large deposits are made and they have not qeured as to the source of the money, if they are unsure then the account should be reported to the FBR. if all DIG and judges were investigated by an independent body then the chances are most would end up in prison.

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Amin

Apr 14, 2019 03:18pm

DIG should be made an example of, as a deterrent for others.

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Shahidam

Apr 14, 2019 03:25pm

If sequence of events as reported is correct, this officer should have been removed to jail until full investigation and truth from the victim and all 'other' parties involved was completed. Who appointed/promoted him and protected him for so long should also be unearthed. If he actually submitted false reports to ex-CJ and tried the same repeatedly, he may turn out a habitual insubordination to some and obedient to others but in both scenarios against the spirit of public interest. His circle of influence must be identified and all involved given befitting legal consequences, promptly. When CJ and/or CM has to get involved in such matters, it tells you how deep the rot is.

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Ali

Apr 14, 2019 03:29pm

Very goooood

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Parvez

Apr 14, 2019 03:34pm

This are serious issues of national importance. If we are failing and our citizens being tortured we have no right to lecture the world. I am really surprised that with these kinds of problems in our country how can the PM get peaceful sleep ? To think we get up in the morning and start lecturing the world about torture against minority is hypocrisy of unthinkable level.

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Jameel

Apr 14, 2019 03:41pm

What are these ministers doing, why IK has to order and take action. Electoral system is not suited for Pak, incompetent individuals are elected who can't serve the public properly, we need reform to have presidential system so competent individuals are hired to do the job properly.

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Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad

Apr 14, 2019 03:44pm

Great move by the Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan by nipping the evil of corruption, cronyism and nepotism in the bud. Well done and keep it up.

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Ramesh Kumar

Apr 14, 2019 03:53pm

These type of police officers should be removed from service permanently, otherwise they were never learn lesson. So sad

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Nas

Apr 14, 2019 03:59pm

THe CM is not particularly good if he only makes a decicion after the PM tells him to. The CM really needs to be changed for someone more proactive and independant.

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Syed Zafar Kazmi U.S.A

Apr 14, 2019 04:08pm

The case doesn’t seem to be very straight. There seem to be underlying factors different from what apparently has been made to look. If the girl has been recovered from the hostel and not from some anductor/s, it’s very much a matter of exercise of her free will as she is nineteen years old and therefore an adult making her own decisions. Dismissal or removal of a police official is not the necessary answer to every mystery, thorough investigation is.

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MAGAMAN

Apr 14, 2019 04:08pm

This is a pathetic situation, nobody is safe in this country.

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sanjeev sharma

Apr 14, 2019 04:50pm

excellent response by Mr.Imran khan.The state institution should work on their own ,the intervention of such highest authority should not be needed

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chengez k

Apr 14, 2019 05:10pm

Sharif brothers police in Punjab must be disbanded & new police force hired !!!!

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Anti-Corruption_Pakistani

Apr 14, 2019 05:20pm

Excellent decision taken by PM Imran Khan to get rid of rooten wood from our police system and other institutions. And, replacing them with more competent and diligent officers based on merits and their ability to perform impartially. (Gharib Awam ki Awaz).

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Shahid Kamal

Apr 14, 2019 05:22pm

Sweeping changes need to be brought in Police and all other departments incase the Government wants to succeed and fulfil their commitments to the nation. How come a Police officer can behave like a king without any fear of accountability?

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Citizens's Portal/HEC Victim

Apr 14, 2019 05:32pm

Glad that this girl has received justice but why is the PM selective in his criteria of which cases MUST be resolved at the Citizens' Portal and which can be shelved? Only when there will be justice at ALL levels, only then will there be true justice otherwise an odd solved case with high publicity is truly insufficient at the government's end. Moreover the Citizen's Portal staff including the operators, need some lessons in dealing with the public. They respond in an extremely rude manner to say the least so where is the public to go for justice if these people of authority refuse to take our calls and presumably all the time are 'busy' in meetings, they should be held accountable for all the 'meetings' they hold b/c we the public are still suffering miserably.

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Abdul Rauf

Apr 14, 2019 05:48pm

This shows the powers of this mighty bureaucracy!

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Amjad Durrani Engineer USA.

Apr 14, 2019 05:53pm

Where are the trumpeted reforms of Punjab police? Where was our handpicked CM Punjab & particularly IG police Punjab all this time during all such spinning of stories by their subordinate? Why a simple case of a missing girl, despite intervention by the CJP took almost 3 months to be solved? Why such a case where the family has been humiliated & tortured time & again, while asking those, responsible for providing security & safety of the general public, & ultimately being brought to the notice of PM for relief? The above mentioned are some mind boggling questions, which shows that country’s largest province which should be model in good governance & delivery to general public for other to follow, is still in the grip of forces of status quo. It is disgusting to note that neither any change has happened during last 8 clueless months of PTI led govt. rule in Punjab nor likely to happen in the near future too. Unless heads are not made to roll, good governance will remain a pipe dream.

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Qamar

Apr 14, 2019 06:00pm

Where were PM and CM at the time of Sahiwal incident. No one is yet indicted in the case.

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waqas shaikh

Apr 14, 2019 06:04pm

A thorough investigation must be conducted to ascertain the facts. A strict disciplinary and legal action should be taken against the DIG in accordance with the law,

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Farhana Farooq

Apr 14, 2019 07:02pm

@Mukesh, Unfortunately, the decisions he does make are disastrous.

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Parvez

Apr 14, 2019 07:21pm

@ Syed Zafar Kazmi U.S.A, you seem to be assuming she was actually recovered from the hostel. People who make up things to the CJ & PM can make up anything. There will be definitely attempts to show it as girls free will so no action is taken against the corrupt.

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fairplay

Apr 14, 2019 07:34pm

False information from Police and torturing family members of the complainant is part of police culture and the Punjab and Sindh police need to be revamped from the ground up. It is pathetic that the DIG lied to the highest authorities, but where is the IG, he needs to be dealing with this harshly.

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fairplay

Apr 14, 2019 07:35pm

@Reality Bites, agree, What does the IG police do?

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fairplay

Apr 14, 2019 07:40pm

@j, the current system is opposed to such changes, but it needs to be done.

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Sami

Apr 14, 2019 07:55pm

The whole Police culture is still based on the colonial era. They still believe they are representatives of the colonizers-- wake up--British have been gone for 70+ years. It is your own country and these are your own people, whose taxes pay your salaries. Need a culture shift--wonder if Civil Service training includes such training?

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Adil Jadoon

Apr 14, 2019 08:09pm

So who kidnapped her? Have they been arrested?

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Sam

Apr 14, 2019 08:58pm

@Reality Bites, "Police in the country has to be completely rehired, restructured and retrained. " Yes right... it will take 1 -2 yr of planning minimum and 2 year implementation phase. Assuming the police training is of 2 years-- Well a total of 5- 6 year commitment before we see results!!

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Anonymouseeeee

Apr 14, 2019 09:03pm

Well done Imran Khan. We are proud of you.

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M. Afzal Riaz, MD

Apr 14, 2019 09:25pm

DIG should be dismissed. This will teach lesson to police officers.

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Shan

Apr 14, 2019 09:49pm

Excellent leadership. Had it been purana Punjab no one would have known.

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MALIK K RIAZ

Apr 15, 2019 12:40am

FIR against the DIG and the police official for negligence. It is a crime .

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Mumtaz Ahmed Shah

Apr 15, 2019 07:16am

Well done Imran Khan.The said case would have been solved by Chief Minister/IG Punjab without involment of Khan.However DIG do not deserve to be on this important post.A severe punishment be awarded who twist the case to CJ as well Prime Minister .(Texas)

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Ahsan Gul

Apr 15, 2019 08:18am

@Amjad Durrani Engineer USA. , - you need to return to Pakistan and personally supervise these matters. Give yourself a break from cab driving.

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